Mining machine



Aug. ll, 1925y 1,549,678

L. E, MITCHELL MINING MACHINE FiledOot. 6, 1921 I5 Sheets-Sheet l.

6I/571425565 @www Aug. 11, 1925. 1,549,678

L. E. MITCHELL MINING MACHINE Filed ont. e. 1921 s sheets-sheet s Patented Aug.. ll, T1925.

NETE@ S'lfiii LOUIS E. MITCHELL, OF CI'C-LGKO, ILLNGTS, ASSTGNOR 'VO MORGAN GARDNER ELEC- TRIO CO., 03F CEGAGO, LLNES.

MENEN@ EIACHNE.

Application led @ctober 6, 1921. Serial No. 505,950.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that T, Louis E. l'i/frfrcr-innn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cool; and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mining Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to apparatuses for operating the tail ropes on short-wall mining machines, such for instance as shown in Patent No. 1,019,722, March 5, 1912. Tn accordance with the present invention T provide a novel winding drum or windlass having means for winding up ya cable at different speeds and also for paying out the cable under frictional control.

The objects of this invention are to provide an improved windlass mechanism for the tail ropes of mining machines; to provide means whereby a rope or cable for a mining machine may be actuated at different speeds; and, in general to provide such an improved construction as will F be described more fully hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating this invention- Figure 1 is a plan view of the windlass and associated parts.

Figure 2 is a side view.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4.- is a section taken 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a section taken 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a section taken 6-6vof Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a section taken 7-7 of Figure 1; and,

Figure 8 is a detail of the supporting device.

is shown in these drawings, 10 represents a main base or bracket which may constitute a portion of the mining machine frame or which may be attached to the frame. This bracket has a bearing 11 for a vertical shaft 12 which is driven in any suitable manner as by means of a gear 13, which is driven from the motor (not shown) of the mining machine, the shaft 12 being rotated continuously while the motor is in operation. The bearing 11 also serves as a support for the winding drum 14, which is mounted thereon and is adapted to turn freely on on the line on the line on the line on the line brake band this bearing. The upper head 15 of the drum is provided with an upwardly projecting flange 16 which has teeth cut or formed on the inner side to form an internal gear 17. This gear is engaged by one or more pinicns 1S which are mounted on shafts 19, these shafts being secured in a pinion hous- 20, which is keyed to the shaft 12 by means of key 21. The pinions 18 are formed integrally with or secured to pinions 22 which are slightly larger, and each preferably has one or more teeth more than the corresponding pinion 18; A driving ring 23 is mounted on the flange 16 to turn freely thereon. This ring has an internal gear 24 which meshes with the pinions 22 and which is of slightly larger diameter than the gear 17 but having the same number of teeth. The driving ring 23 is controlled by a brake band 25.

A 26 is loosely mounted on the shaft 12 and also engages with the pinions 22. This gear is connected with a brake drum 27, which is controlled by a brake band 28. Suitable means are provided for oiling the various parts which are subjected to wear.

A post 29 is arranged adjacent to the brake bands and is provided with holding blocks 30 for supporting the bands, these blocks being carried by a holding pin 31 mounted in the post 29. The ends of the brake band 25 are provided respectively with a front tension block 32 and a rear tension block 33. A tension screw 34 passes through block 33 and has a head 35 which engages with block 32 and prevents the screw from turning. This screw is engaged by a nut 36 having a hand wheel 37 for turning the same, and a washer 38 is inserted between the nut and the block 33. lt will be evident that when the nut is turned in one direction, the band will be tightened and when the nut is turned in the opposite direction the band will be loosened.

The ends of the brake band 28 have a front tension block 39 and a rear tension block 4 0. A draw bar l1 passes through these tension blocks and is provided at one end with a threaded portion .l2 for receiving an adjusting nut`li3. The opposite end is provided with a pivot le for engagement with one end of a bifurcated toggle lever 45, which has a handle 46 for swinging the same. The opposite end of the toggle lever is pvoted at 47 t0 toggle arms or links 48,

The opposite ends of these links are pivoted at 49 to the block 40. The bar 41 has a slot 50 for the pivot pin 49 so that the bar can move longitudinally. 1When the handle 46 is swung outwardly from the position shown in Figure 1, the toggle will be released and the bar 5() will move so that the brake band is released. I'Vhen the handle 46 is again swung to the position shown in Figure 1, the brake band will be tightened and when the toggle reaches the dead center, will be locked in braking position.

It is apparent that the brake bands 25 and 28 should not be actuated simultaneously, and I have therefore provided an interlocking device for preventing the tightening of one of these bands when the other is in braking position. The several tension blocks 32, 33, 39 and 4() are provided with outwardly lextending projections or pins 51, which reciprocate in slots 52 in a bracket 53, which is secured to a post 54, which projects upwardly from the base 10 and is securely held in the base. The pins 51 are connected by cross links 55 as shown in Figure 7, which shows the upper brake band in braking or tightened position. It will be seen that the links will hold the bottom pins separated so that the nut 36 can not be tightened to set the lower brake. Then the upper brake is released andthe lower brake is set, the reverse action takes place so that only one brake can be actuated at a time.

rlhe tail rope or cable 56 is secured to the drum 14 in any suitable manner and suitable guides are provided for directing the rope from the drum. One of these guide rollers 57 is conveniently mounted on the post 54 and coacts with the guide sheave 58 whenthe cable is paid out in one di.- rection. Another guide roller 59 is mounted on the opposite side of the drum for guiding the cable in another direction.

When the brake band 28 is tightened and the drum 27 prevented from rotating, the pinions will be caused to revolve about the shaft 12 and will drive the drum 14 at a relatively high speed. For example, the shaft 12 is driven at such a speed, and the gears are so proportioned that in actual practice the drum 14 is turned so that the cable may be wound up at the rate of approximately seventy feet per minute. rIlhis arrangement is used particularly for moving the machine about, the outer end of the cable 56 being secured to some fixed object so that when the cable is wound up the machine will be moved.

During certain cutting operations, as when making a sumping cut, it is desirable to wind up the cable at a relatively slow speed, say approximately five feet per minute. In order to do this, the brake 28 is released and the brake 25 is tightened. When this is done, the drum 14 is driven at a .slow speed due to the differential action of the gearing and the cable will be wound up at a comparatively slow rate.

After the sumping cut has been made and the machine is moving along the face of the coal, it is necessary to pay out the cable 56, under the control of the operator, in order to guidev the machine in this cutting movement. This is accomplished by regulating the pressure of the brake 25 so as to permit the desired slippage and allow the drum to turn in a direction which is reverse to its winding movement.

It will be observed that various changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of part-s in order to adapt the device to different machines, and therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the particular arrangement herein shown and described except as specified in the following claims.

I claim 1. The combination with a pair of brake bands, of actuating means for each of said bands, and cross links between the ends of the respective bands whereby only one band can be tightened at a time.

2. In a windlass for tail ropes, the combination of a driving shaft, means for turning said shaft, a winding drum having an internal gear at one end thereof, a gear loosely mounted on said shaft, a brake drum coacting with said gear, a brake for said drum, a driving ring mounted on said winding drum and having an internal gear of a different size from the gear on the winding drum, a pinion housing secured to said shaft, pinions carried by said housing and meshing with the gear on the ring and the gear on the shaft, smaller pinions coacting with first named pinions and meshing with the gear on the winding drum and a brake for said driving ring.

3. The combination with a windlass having means for turning the same, of a pair of brake bands for controlling the turning means, supporting devices for tightening the respective bands, pins projecting from the ends of said bands and cross links connecting said pins.

4. The combination of a pair of brake bands, tension blocks at the ends of said bands, a screw and nut coacting with the tension blocks of one band for tightening the same, a toggle lever and draw bar co.- acting with the blocks of the other band for tightening the same and interlocking device whereby one band can not be tightened until the other band is loosened.

LOUIS E. MITCHELL. 

